x
Breaking News
More () »

Missouri paces to be the fastest state to reach $1B in cannabis sales

Customers began buying legal recreational marijuana Feb. 3 in Missouri.
Credit: Adam Vogler, Kansas City Business Journal
Missouri is on pace to reach $1 billion in annual marijuana sales.

MISSOURI, USA — Logging $102.9 million in cannabis sales for February, Missouri is on pace to achieve $1 billion in annual sales and may be the fastest state to reach the milestone.

Customers began buying legal recreational marijuana Feb. 3 in Missouri. The fast start has cannabis business owners throughout the state scrambling to hire more people and boost cultivation capacity.

Greenlight Dispensary CEO John Mueller, who runs the largest cannabis operation in Missouri, said the one-hour customer waiting period at his stores during the first week of business was remedied by hiring another 100 people throughout the state.

“We needed more staff than we thought, because volume was up significantly more than we planned on,” Mueller said. “We immediately started a hiring spree because my goal is to get wait times always under 15 minutes. We’re not alone. Missouri had 12,500 employees in the cannabis industry, and when the new numbers come out, we expect it to be closer to 15,000, as everybody started ramping up to meet demand.” 

Click here to read more of the St. Louis Business Journal story.

To watch 5 On Your Side broadcasts or reports 24/7, 5 On Your Side is always streaming on 5+. Download for free on Roku or Amazon Fire TV.

Before You Leave, Check This Out